my marshall has way to much treble.

I had a 2203 100 watt head (about a 1984 model). I used a Marshall 4x12 with vintage 30s. At low volume settings (but not actually low volume!) it was painfully thin and trebley. I tried different gain preamps tubes and different brand power amp tubes to try and tame it. There is a web page some where that shows in detail how to tame these amps. I made those changes and they helped. The only thing that really worked (I found out by accident) was to turn it up close to full. Sounded good but was unusable. I tried a powerbrake but they dont really reduce the volume by much before they start to affect the sound.

I sold it in the end after I compared it to a Bogner Shiva combo. I got the Shiva, imho better in every way unless you can crank the Marshall and then it is a one trick pony.

Just my experience. Others may differ

neil

 

I routinely turn the treble on my Marshall flavored amps off or nearly off. Never do they get above 3-4 on treble, and usually the bass and mids are bumped up well over the treble knob level.

 

I routinely turn the treble on my Marshall flavored amps off or nearly off. Never do they get above 3-4 on treble, and usually the bass and mids are bumped up well over the treble knob level.

If you have an overly trebly amp, try darker speakers with it (55 hz models) that will tame alot of the highs.

How do you have your amp controls set, what guitar, and what pickups do you use?

 

I find turning presence all the way down or very low is the best way to tame 'em. Takes the fizz out of the sound.

The 18W handwired combos on the other hand don't seem to be overly trebly. Rather pleasing tones at ear-friendly volumes.

 

That extreme high end in Marshalls (especially non/master volume models) is caused buy one little capacitor that is wired across two terminal of the gain pot. It is sort of a traditional Marshall thing so for some reason they continue to do it to this day. That is why the amps have the horrible high end until you get the gain knob past about 2:00 and suddenly the low end comes in. That capacitor is basically how many amps do their bright switches, but the Marshall capacitor is about 10 times the value (hence 10 times the high end boost) of other amps. Unfortunately, the amp is deafening at that setting. You can cut out (or reduce) the value of that capacitor and vastly improve things.

 

No, it's a capacitor.

 

Cut the bright cap...Also is it a master or non master? If non are you jumping channels?

 

Didn't realize it was a MV model. Where do you set the "gain" knob. If you have it near full up, cutting out the capacitor will not do anything. Will need to do other stuff.

egnater

 

Cut out the capacitor.

 

If your filter caps are old or original that can cause the amp to be bright and lacking in low end.
Jerry

 

These can be really kewl amps.

If you don't want it so thin up front
you can change the .68 bypass cap
to another value.

Try a 10uf - 25uf cap for fuller sound.

You can also add a 100K resistor
to the wiper (middle) of the master
volume to improve the tone a queiter
levels. This is the simple method.
See TUT, Vol 3 of the final fix.

But that should help some.

These amps can be awsome.

One customer wanted was earlier break up.

So, I take time to really dial it in, add gain
so he gets earlier break up, and I'm
real careful to get the hum out, etc.

Get the amp all stablized,
and know it it is the ****.

He trys it out, pays for it etc.

I get a call and he comes back the next
day yelling....

The amp feeds back with everything on 10.
It shouldn't do that, fix it. I test all my amps
this way.


So I reversed all the wonderful stuff I did.
The amp is only half of what is was.

But, now he is happy (I guess).

Moral of the story...

If you want earlier break up,
then don't put everything on 10
and whine about it.

It still pisses me off, damn that amp sounded good.

enjoy. Oh and as most folks have suggested
put in new filters, you'll be glad you did.